Smoke detectors are yours safe?

Most smoke detectors have a life span of 8-10 years.  Like other electronic equipment, smoke detector components wear out over time.  Your smoke detectors continually test air particles 24 hours a day.  Over a 10
year life span your smoke detector can go thru 3.5 million monitoring cycles.  Both hard wired and battery smoke detectors have the same life cycle of 8-10 years.

Current electrical code requires multiple smoke detectors depending on how
many bedrooms and levels in your home.  In addition to replacing your smoke detectors you should replace any carbon monoxide detectors as they have the same life cycle.  If you don’t have any carbon monoxide detectors in your home, manufacturers offer combination devices that monitor smoke and carbon monoxide.  They also have devices that plug into a standard outlet and most of these have battery back-up.

So what can you do to safeguard you and your loved ones?

1.  Change all batteries in smoke detectors once a year.  Choose a date that is easy to remember like a holiday for example.
2.  Periodic cleaning is very important.  Vacuum around your detector to remove dust accumulation that may affect smoke reaching the sensing chamber.  Clean atleast once a year (a good time would be when you change battery in your smoke / carbon monoxide detector).
3.  Mark each detector with the date of their installation.
4.  Replace detectors that are 8-10 years old.
5.  Test your smoke / carbon detectors once a month (follow manufacturer recommendations and procedures).  Normally this is pushing a test button on the face of the detector and looking for the indicator light which can warn you of potential detector problems.

Please feel free to contact us to do a safety inspection and to make a life safety review of your current equipment.